


Family Roots

by M_Renoir



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, One-Shot, alois is a medic, rene is a spy, rene x alois, they're back back back again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29285259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_Renoir/pseuds/M_Renoir
Summary: Alois and Rene had been dating ever since the end of the Gravel Wars, but a visit by Alois's family a little while before their wedding day causes Rene to question his roots.This fic is a very short one shot written mostly by solemn-vow, and is posted with her permission. I just went through and updated/edited some parts. It's marked as finished bc neither of us intend on completing the rest of it, but who knows what the future may bring? But still, an obligatory sorta(?) cliffhanger ending warning is in effect
Relationships: Medic/Spy (Team Fortress 2), OC/OC
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6
Collections: dontneedavalentine2021





	Family Roots

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the amazing solemn-vow for letting me post this for the dontneedadispenser valentine's week event! I'm excited to participate bc the world needs to see more rene and alois content

_“Will you marry me?”_

_“Yes!”_

The words echoed in René’s head, haunting him, as he lay awake dreading the morning to come. His lover—his _fiance_ —was sound asleep beside him. René wanted nothing more than to be worthy of this man. Alois’s family meant the world to him, so this meeting would be the final word. As dramatic as it was, the thought of this gathering being the determining factor in his fate churned his stomach. 

René had fought an endless war against trained mercenaries, worked for decades as a hired gun, and even survived a world war, but seeing a single family made his blood run cold. He would rather face down an ubered Heavy or a thousand Pyros than whatever the morning would bring. A loud snore dragged him away from his thoughts. His fiance loved him so wholly and completely with his entire heart. No matter how the day would go, Alois would be there with him. René ducked his head and curled more comfortably against Alois’s side. Sleep snuck up on him quickly after that. 

When the morning came, Alois’s relatives began to flood into the house, accompanied by a tidal wave of questions. 

René found himself cornered by a group of relatives who were all speaking rapidly in a mixture of languages ranging from English to German to even French. 

“So, what was it like, growing up in France?” one relative asked. 

“I-”

“I’m sure you drove your mother out of her mind with worry!” another chimed in, before René could answer. 

“Well-”

“I know Alois has to make arrangements for all of us, but who are you bringing to the ceremony?” a third mused. 

“Oh-”

“ _Thank you so much_ , everyone. I need to borrow my fiance for a while.” Rene turned towards the voice, grateful for the interruption of yet another question he couldn’t answer. Alois wrapped his arm around Rene’s waist and steered him into the kitchen, which had been cordoned off for Alois and his mama _only_. René didn’t move until he felt the shock of a cold glass of water being pressed into his hands.

“Liebe, what’s wrong? You looked so panicked out there. I told my family to back off, but if someone’s bothering you still, I’ll knock some sense into them.” René took a small sip of water, letting grounding himself in the coolness, before looking at Alois. Once again, he was struck by the uncanny thoughtfulness of his fiance.

“Non. It was nothing intentional…” René absently rubbed the ring on his finger. That was another source of his emotional turmoil. A blessing from Alois’s mother. The ring, having been passed down through many generations, was embedded with her birthstones, her son’s, and now René’s, waiting to be embedded. It was a sign of acceptance into Alois’s family. A family rich with history and a past that René had no right to lay claim to.

“And why don’t you have a right to claim to be a part of my family, liebe?” Alois’s brow furrowed as he set the glass aside for René in order to claim his hands. René blanched. He didn’t mean to admit anything to Alois.

“Nothing. It’s just silly musings. Nerves.” René tried to sound dismissive, but the words caught in his throat.

“It’s not silly if it’s affecting you so, René.” Alois’s thumbs brushed over René’s knuckles.

“It should be! I should be happy! Merde, I _am_ happy! I just-” René wrenched his hands away and turned around, his shoulders hunched. “How can I marry you when I don’t know who I am?” 

Alois’s head tilted to the side. “What do you mean, liebe?”

“I’m not René Lambert. Well, I _am_ , but that’s a name that was given to me. It’s the only name I’ve ever known, but I know that’s not the name I was born with. I—You know I was raised to be a spy. I trained at the Academy, but not from birth. I… Perhaps it’s because I let my guard down, but I get dreams. Dreams of a life before I began my training, but it’s fuzzy. I just… I want to know who I am. What if I have a mother and father out there? People who would want to know me? To be on my side of the chapel?” René trailed off, finding himself running out of words. He jumped when he felt two arms wrap tightly around him.

“Liebe, if you want to find out who you are, then you should go. A wedding can wait.” A kiss was pressed to his temple. “I just have two things. One, even if it’s a name given to you, know that you will always be my René and that’s what’s important to me, and two, I want to go with you.” René shuddered, finally allowing the tears to fall. He twisted around in Alois’s embrace so that he could cling to him.

“You… You big idiot. I love you.”


End file.
